The Dallas Cowboys have Tony Pollard still but need to find an Ezekiel Elliott replacement. One insider has a wild prediction to do so.
In terms of who will be the No. 1 running back for the Dallas Cowboys, that doesn’t appear to be in question. The team levied the franchise tag on pending free agent Tony Pollard while making the tough decision to cut longtime starter Ezekiel Elliott this offseason.
However, given the way that the franchise has handled Pollard’s workload in his career to this point, it stands to reason that Dallas will be eying another running back in some capacity to help take some touches out of the backfield. And it’s hard to believe that Ronald Jones II is going to be that guy, even with him signing a deal with the Cowboys.
But what if the Cowboys created the ultimate thunder and lightning combo?
That’s what ESPN NFL expert Bill Barnwell is predicting will happen.
Talking about offseason roster holes that need to be filled, Barnwell dove into the Dallas running back situation and floated the idea that, if the Tennessee Titans were to release veteran Derrick Henry and his massive salary, America’s Team could come calling.
Cowboys rumors: Insider predicts Dallas signing Derrick Henry to replace Ezekiel Elliott
Henry has been a workhorse for the Titans in the past five seasons, topping 1,500 yards in three separate seasons while touching at least 10 touchdowns in each of the past five years. And let’s not forget his monster 2,027 yards and 17 scores in the 2020 campaign.
However, with Henry in the final year of his contract and carrying a $16+ million cap hit for the 2023 season, there have been talks about Tennessee — a team in the midst of a pseudo-rebuild — moving on from the running back. As Barnwell projected, if they can’t find a trade partner, then cutting him after April’s draft would make a ton of sense.
The Cowboys would have to be interested in a perfect complement to the speedy and slashing style of Pollard, which is what Henry is. His release wouldn’t be about performance but, rather, about his salary. That wouldn’t be an issue if he hit the market and Dallas came in interested.
Barnwell did also mention a similar scenario with Dalvin Cook in addition to potential interest in free agents like Leonard Fournette and Latavius Murray. But in what has been a pretty splashy offseason, signing Derrick Henry would continue the theme for the Cowboys.